Frat boys wrote graffiti on a beached whale

A 15-foot Minske whale met an unfortunate end when it washed up on a beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The animal then suffered a final indignity when some bystanders decided to write graffiti on its corpse.

The Press of Atlantic City went out of its way to assure us that the markings are “not gang related”–as if gangs are regularly engaging in turf wars over marine wildlife. Instead, authorities determined that the graffiti consists of the number 94 and Greek letters signifying Tau Epsilon Phi , a fraternity that is headquartered in Voorhees, New Jersey. So yeah, cool tag, bros–gave fun bragging about this over the next few rounds of beer pong.

As of now, the whale’s cause of death is undetermined, but it has yet to undergo an autopsy.

As disturbing as the sight of a dead whale may be, it’s probably a welcome change of pace from the Jersey Shore’s rich, colorful and enduring history of medical waste washing ashore.